For several years, the Professional Union of Veterinarians has recommended that regional and local authorities appoint municipal veterinarians. Their role is crucial in preventing tragedies linked to the keeping of animals. Thanks to a permanent veterinary service, they can intervene quickly in the event of aggressive behavior or critical situations, thus avoiding tragedies.
In Charleroi, the City benefits from such a service, headed by Sandrine Gajewski, municipal veterinarian in the animal welfare service.
“The municipal veterinarian is active on the ground, explains Sandrine Gajewski. I am not saying that we could have prevented what happened in Quévy, but very often, we are warned by the neighborhood or by the Walloon Region in the event of problems in illegal or unrecognized breeding sites, for example, if there had been complaints, our service would have gone to the site.”
The role of the municipal veterinarian is not limited to emergency interventions. It also includes the management of complaints and animal abuse files.
A fight against feline overpopulation
In Charleroi, the animal welfare service also plays a key role in the sterilization of stray cats.
-“We go there and check the conditions of detention,” says the municipal veterinarian. “Our service also takes care of sterilizing stray cats: we catch them, operate on them, then release them where we found them. Very often it is individuals or non-volunteers who are responsible for catching them because it is not always easy to approach them.”
The number of stray cats continues to increase, complicating interventions. To carry out these “trappings”, the City collaborates with individuals and volunteers.
Collective action necessary
“It’s teamwork between the SPA, the City and the municipal veterinarian,” explains Franck Goffaux, director of the Charleroi SPA. “For us, it’s a valuable help. Raising awareness about feline sterilization is essential. year, around a hundred cats are operated on, and this is the only way to deal with this overpopulation problem.”
The appointment of a municipal veterinarian is obvious in Charleroi. Faced with the increase in conflicts linked to animals, this function plays an essential role in preventing tragedies, but also in managing recurring problems such as feline overpopulation or animal abuse, which are unfortunately all too frequent.
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